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We Need Your Help! Keep Oakland Art Murmur Roaring for 20 More Years
Events and Exhibitions

Find Art Exhibitions, Openings and Artist Talks at arts venues throughout Oakland.
There is something going on every weekend!


Click through to view current events and exhibitions

East Bay Open Studios Events

East Bay Open Studios is a free, family friendly twice annual event that connects art collectors and arts lovers directly to artists throughout Alameda and Contra Costa County.

Find out more

Join the Community

There are several ways to connect with Oakland’s creative community.

Find out more


oaklandartmurmur

Your connection to visual art in Oakland 🌟
Host of bi-annual @eastbayopenartstudios

DEADLINES SOON: ARTIST RESOURCES ROUND-UP 🌟 Oakla DEADLINES SOON: ARTIST RESOURCES ROUND-UP 🌟

Oakland Style Week

Oakland Style Week returns October 7–11, 206 or five days of fashion, food, music, art, and Oakland culture.
Now in its fourth y ear, the celebration brings together events and creative programming happening across The Town, from runway shows and live music to culinary and mixology events.

There’s also an opportunity for local artists, cultural organizations, venues, and event producers to get involved: Oakland Style Week is accepting community event submissions for its 2026 calendar.

If you’re planning an exhibition, performance, pop-up, fashion event, or other cultural activation during Oakland Style Week, this is a chance to connect it to the larger week of programming.

October 7–11, 2026
Follow @oaklandstyle2026 for the full schedule, event submissions, and ticket information.
Link to submit Oakland Style Week activations https://www.visitoakland.com/events/submit-an-event/

Nexus SF/Bay Area Black Art Week

Nexus SF/Bay Area Black Art Week returns September 30–October 4, and applications are now open for artists, galleries, creative spaces, and cultural organizations interested in participating.

Now in its third year, @nexussfbay brings together exhibitions, programs, performances, conversations, and other events highlighting Black artists and cultural work throughout the Bay Area.

Last year’s Black Art Week included more than 140 programs and exhibitions across 58+ arts organizations, galleries, and creative spaces.

Applications are open now for events, activations, and presentations — deadline August 15, 2026. If you’re an artist, gallery, or creative space ready to be part of it, this is your moment.

Stay connected and submit through @nexussfbay

Further Triennial: Calling Non-profit Arts Organizations

Further Triennial brings together nearly 100 visual arts organizations from across the Greater Bay Area for a season of original exhibitions that illuminate our creative past and present.

Want to be part of Further Triennial? There‘s still time left to apply. Submit your application before the waitlist closes on August 14 

Follow @furthertriennial to learn more and a sneak peek of
It’s First Fridays in Oakland and we’re once again It’s First Fridays in Oakland and we’re once again buzzing with a full lineup of exhibitions, openings, and late-night gallery hours. There’s plenty to explore across the city👇

@johansson_projects presents I Watched Your Leaves Grow Silver in the Wind, featuring paintings by Andrew Catanese exploring memory, place, and connection. Open 5–8 pm

#Oakland #FirstFriday #ArtWalk EastBayArt

🌟 “1-800-Happy Birthday” in Latham Square is an interactive public art installation honoring Black and Brown victims of police violence through celebration and remembrance. On view through September 9th

🌟 “1-800-Happy Birthday” in Latham Square is an interactive public art installation honoring Black and Brown victims of police violence through celebration and remembrance. On view through September 9th

@archer_bicycle archer (Art@Archer) continues its mezzanine exhibition inside a bike shop, featuring Northern California artists Vida Karamooz, MacArther Nelson, and Melva Spigner. Open 10 am–6:30 pm

@mannagalleryoakland presents Everything Must Go, a juried group exhibition curated by Lisa Solomon, examining impermanence, loss, and renewal through the lens of a clearance sale. Open 5–8 pm

@gearboxgallery presents Fragments of Belonging, a two-person show with paintings by Dalit Fresco and sculpture by Jan Blythe, reflecting on immigration and identity. Open 12–5 pm

@gearboxgallery presents Fragments of Belonging, a two-person show with paintings by Dalit Fresco and sculpture by Jan Blythe, reflecting on immigration and identity. Open 12–5 pm

@slate_art presents a group exhibition revisiting and reimagining Abstract Expressionism through the work of five female artists. Open 11 am–5 pm

@slate_art presents a group exhibition revisiting and reimagining Abstract Expressionism through the work of five female artists. Open 11 am–5 pm

@eastbayphotocollective presents In Focus: A Survey of Bay Area Photography, a group exhibition celebrating the creativity and diversity of the Bay Area photography community. Curated by Ann Jastrab, the show brings together 50 artists in-gallery alongside an extended online exhibition. Join for the opening reception with refreshments, music, and
Calling East Bay Emerging Visual Artists! Apply Au Calling East Bay Emerging Visual Artists! Apply August 7-30th

Oakland Art Murmur’s Emerging Artist Program supports early-career visual artists across the East Bay.
Through Winter East Bay Open Studios this upcoming December, selected artists get:

→ Professional development opportunities
→ A community of peers and arts leaders
→ High visibility featured placement in EBOS marketing
→ Discounted or waived EBOS fee (based on need)

Eligibility:
- In your first 2 years of exhibiting/selling work outside school
- Working in visual arts (painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, mixed media, fiber arts, installation, folk art, or similar)
- 18 years or older
- Alameda County resident
- Not currently in an arts degree program
📅 Apply by August 30th, at midnight.

📍Winter  EBOS runs December 5-6 & 12-13
🔗 Details + application: www.eastbayopenstudios.com (link in bio)

Learn more about Alumni Emerging Artists at www.eastbayopenstudios.com/emerging-artists
______
#OpenCall #ArtistOpportunities #EBOS #Winter26EBOS #EmergingArtists

Summer 2026 Cohort: @finnfinnfinn1122 @hanqiart @goldovgoods @planttecture @nik0alexander @pamjueart @laurawasserman_ @el_chiquito__
Oakland Art Murmur is the connective layer of the Oakland Art Murmur is the connective layer of the East Bay’s visual art scene.  We are a community first organization, between our creatives, galleries, and the people of the East Bay.  We work to make sure arts are integral to our daily lives and the history of the East Bay.

We do all of this with just two staff members, a board of eight locals, and the support from friends like you.

We need to raise $11,000 by August 1 to continue our work in supporting the artists and art spaces at the heart of the East Bay’s creative community. 

We’ve already raised 80% of our goal! Will you help us reach the finish line with a donation of $1, $5, or $20 today?
ARTS ACTION ALERT! When the sale of the Coliseum f ARTS ACTION ALERT! When the sale of the Coliseum finalizes, Oakland will now have a new recurring revenue stream from the deal: 6% of ticket sales from the arena and stadium. That money should be earmarked for arts and culture.

This is a chance to create stable funding for artists, youth programs, cultural organizations, and community-based arts across Oakland. City staff estimate the 6% could bring in roughly $3 million a year. 

Tell City Council: dedicate the 6% ticket-revenue share to Oakland arts and culture. Restore local cultural funding, protect staff capacity, and invest in Oakland’s creative future. 

Come to the next Oakland City Council Meeting: Tuesday, 07/21, 3PM, City Hall (enter off of 14th Street).

Show up for public comment and have your voice heard.

Send e-comments by Monday, 7/20, 3:30pm.
Over the last 20 years, we’ve produced and support Over the last 20 years, we’ve produced and supported hundreds of free or low-cost events for the arts that ensured that visual arts were accessible and essential to the fabrics of our East Bay community.

In 2006, our eight founding art spaces came together to launch the First Fridays Art Murmur, ultimately drawing hundreds to galleries in Oakland’s Temescal and Northgate neighborhoods and starting what has become a mainstay in East Bay arts and culture. 

Art Murmur defined a decade in Oakland. Then we grew to serve the greater East Bay with producing East Bay Open Studios, Artist Professional Development Workshops, and Emerging Artist program. 

Now we’re asking you to help us define our next one.

Today, Oakland Art Murmur remains a small organization with a mighty impact. But like the artists and art spaces in our community, we are facing challenges: reduced arts funding, economic uncertainty, and a political climate that is not friendly to the arts. That’s why this summer we’re asking you to invest in the Oakland creative ecosystem.

Please consider donatong $1, $5, $10 to keep our historic arts organization here. Every dollar counts!
‼️‼️Artist Resources Round Up Swipe through to ge ‼️‼️Artist Resources Round Up

Swipe through to get all the information. Please share with friends and artists who should apply or know about these fun opportunities.
___

@posca_usa Applications are now open for the TED & POSCA Global Artist Residency, curated and coordinated by Fine Acts. Applications close July 31 🔗Apply at ted.com/posca

@salmon_creek_farm has opened their Fall 2026–Winter 2027 workshops, skillshares, and retreat offerings for artists and creative community members. 🔗 Applications open and rolling now at salmoncreekfarm-arts.org/Workshops

@recologyair is accepting applications through September 1, 2026, for professional artists and student artists for residencies beginning February 2027. To be eligible, artists must first attend an on-site tour and then complete and submit an online application. 🔗 More information about how to apply at  https://lnkd.in/ex7u8JUF

@sfpubliclibrary is calling all Bay Area children’s book artists and illustrators to create art for Summer Stride 2027, San Francisco Public Library’s award-winning summer learning program. Deadline: July 13 🔗Apply at sfpl.org/artist-call

Downtown San Rafael Arts Community invites the public to an Artist Talk & Celebration of the Arts District on July 10, featuring a conversation with artists from the 2025–2026 San Rafael Public Art Program, 2nd Friday Art Walk, youth arts activities, local food, makers, and live music. 🔗Advance registration for the talk is required at https://bit.ly/SR-ArtWalk
Moderated by Aimee Espiritu, featuring 2026 Public Art Program artists Bryan Valenzuela, Paz de la Calzada, and Wyatt Hersey.

@coalitiononhomelessness is seeking art submissions for the Coalition on Homelessness Art Auction 2026, taking place Thursday, September 10 at SOMArts Cultural Center. Deadline: July 17. Learn more from the link in their bio

@mendocinoartcenter 2026/27 Greenhouse Residency application is open. This residency especially welcomes artists whose practices engage with food systems, climate justice, and ecological futures. 🔗Apply at mendocinoartcenter.org/greenhouse

@studio11gallery Open call for the Bay Area Artist Showcase. Art submission deadline closes August 1
With the long weekend right around the corner, the With the long weekend right around the corner, there’s so much great art to explore day and night tomorrow. Oakland’s galleries are lighting up this Friday with a lineup of art events that mix new work with a few last chances. Here‘s where to point your feet tonight 👇

@johansson_projects continues In Your Own Time, a two-person show with painter and sculptor Leyla Pekmen and painter Julien Laporte. Open 1–8 pm

@slate_art presents (Un)tethered, a solo exhibition of new paintings by Jen Garrido. Open 11 am–5 pm

@mannagalleryoakland previews Everything Must Go, a juried group exhibition juried by artist and educator Lisa Solomon, exploring impermanence, change, and renewal. Open 5–8 pm (closed July 4th)

@gearboxgallery closes out Field Notes, new work by Oakland-based artists Linda Ellinwood and Joy Every, running alongside The Hidden Treasures of Stan Chan. Last day for both. Open 12–9 pm

@eastbayphotocollective presents Practice Makes Process at Oakland Photo Workshop, featuring work by the beloved and talented teaching artists. Open 12–6 pm

@dearjohnshop has Act Like You’ve Been Here Before, new works by Amol Ray, on view now ahead of the artist‘s reception July 18th. Open 10 - 5:30pm

@fmoakland presents Positively Cynical, recent work by resident artist Ryan Tesluk. Open 5–10 pm

@empowermentave presents The Distance Between: Traveling Beyond Count Time at InStudio, featuring work by formerly and currently incarcerated artists. Open 5–9 pm

@thegrandgalleryoakland presents Pete Escovedo: The California Art Tour (Oakland Chapter), spotlighting artwork by famed musician Pete Escovedo. Open 11 am–7 pm

@werkshack opens The Student Show, work by East Bay community college art classes from students at College of Alameda, Berkeley City College, Merritt College, and Laney College. Open 5–9 pm

Additionally!
🌟 @bamp_art leads a guided First Friday mural tour along Broadway, starting at Oakstop and ending at 23rd & Broadway. Free, registration required. 

#OaklandArtMurmur #FirstFridayOakland #OaklandArt #ArtWalk #EastBayArt July
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Oakland Art Murmur EIN #27-3742461
PO BOX 10112 Oakland, CA. 94610
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